A VIEW OF SANTA
CRUZ HARBOR
FROM THE
CROW’S NEST
August/September 2018 77
Santa Cruz redwoods and bring the forest to life.
Rent a GoPro Helmet Camera to capture the
jaw-dropping experience and relive the highflying
antics from the safety of your sofa.
To get a closer glimpse of the forest floor, we
recommend a hike through the verdant ferncovered
understory of Henry Cowell Redwoods
State Park. Trek along the easy 3.2-mile roundtrip
trail that traces the spring-fed creek and leads
to eerie stone kilns where 19th-century workers
produced lime, used to make mortar.
Craving aquatic adventure? Catch a cool
breeze and your dinner at the Loch Lomond
Recreation Area ($4 per vehicle, 100 Loch Lomond
Way, Felton; 831/420-5320), a three-milelong
reservoir in a hidden valley that is popular
with fishermen.
Stay: Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley,
www3.hilton.com. Soothe tired muscles after a
day on the trails with a few laps in the heated
outdoor pool, bordered on three sides by the
redwood forest, then relax and refresh in this
rustic yet modern mountain retreat.
Dine: The Cremer House, Felton, cremerhouse.
com. After working up a thirst in the mountain
air, a visit to this restaurant and alehouse
from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing team should
hit the spot. A gigantic copper container bristling
with more than 24 craft beers on tap, is the thirstquenching
centerpiece of this rustic yet refined
American eatery.
7
BY THE BEACH
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
THE BOARDWALK UPDATES the classic Coney
Island beach destination, pairing a carefree
oceanside setting with a bustling shopping scene and an array
of gourmet vittles that tastily revamp typical carnie fare. Try not
to overindulge before taking a spin and a few 40-mile per hour
plummets on Undertow, one of the Boardwalk’s most popular
roller coasters. There’s also an arcade and a pirate-packed, twostory
miniature golf course, and live bands that perform on the
boardwalk Friday evenings throughout the summer. Frolic in the
surf at nearby Main and Cowell Beaches, where sea lions bark
under the wharf and surfers slice the waves. Burn off some funnel
cake calories with a game of beach volleyball but stick around for
sunset photo ops—with the pier as the picture-perfect backdrop.
Stay: Ocean Echo, Santa Cruz, www.oceanecho.com. A former
ranch, Ocean Echo is now a charming series of guest rooms
and cottages hidden away on a side street overlooking gorgeous
Sunny Cove Beach. You’ll swoon for their newly remodeled topfloor
room with a large private balcony and an Instagram-worthy
view of the cove’s crashing waves. One of Santa Cruz’s hidden
gems, this is an ideal spot for families—and their pooches—
since most multi-room suites and cottages include kitchens and
barbecues. The large shared deck with shaded picnic tables and
barbecue grills overlook scenic Sunny Cove. And here’s a cool
perk: Guests can arrange to be picked up and whisked off to
Shadowbrook Restaurant (shadowbrook-capitola.com) via their
1950 Dodge Taxi.
Dine: The Crow’s Nest, Santa Cruz, crowsnest-santacruz.com.
A local landmark since 1969, this popular eatery features awardwinning
cuisine, spirits and live entertainment along with some
of the most spectacular views of Santa Cruz Harbor, lighthouse
and wharf. Surfer-themed decor adds breezy ambiance to the
downstairs dining room, where guests enjoy seafood as fresh as
the catch brought in that morning or sink into sumptuous steaks.
Upstairs, the upscale yet casual Breakwater Grill offers a variety of
appetizers and lunch options, along with live comedy, music and
dancing. Al fresco dining on the decks feature excellent vantage
points for watching the steady parade of boats sailing in and out
of the harbor. n
A D V E N T U R E
COURTESY OF THE CROW’S NEST; OPPOSITE FROM TOP: COURTESY OF SANTA
CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK; COURTESY OF SHADOWBROOK RESTAURANT
